Their First Night
by pecannutespresso
Summary: Ashamed to say that I haven't gotten around to watching Season 4 Episode 14 yet, but I saw a clip on youtube with Nina and Olivia Actually I think Nina was the other Nina talking about the first night Rachel and Olive came to stay. Just kind of a daydream I suppose.


Fringe Fanfiction

"Now, you can_not_ give in," Nina's voice slurred on the last syllable of 'cannot'. Her shaky arms holding tight to the chair.

Olivia's face scrunched together in a frustrated way. "But if I don't then he's going to keep torturing you, and I can't have that! I won't!"

Nina sighed. Her body was weak. Her heart was torn. She had no idea what to do about Olivia's headstrong attitude.

"Ok," Olivia walked around moving to the floor in front of Nina. "Nina? Nina. You-you have to help activate me."

"Olive, I-I," Nina's head spun. It was William Bell and Walter Bishop that had done the trials not her. It was those two men who tested on the grown woman sitting in front of her. Not her. She had no idea how to activate Olivia.

"Ok, cortexaphan, is based on emotions. For me, it was always fear. Not fear for myself, but fear for the people that I loved. Now Jones is-is using that, hoping that that will access my abilities. But something's happened."

"Wha-what do you mean?"

"Because of the cortexaphan, I-I-I can't remember certain aspects of our relationship. I can't remember things about us. And without that connection, I can't do what he wants. It just, it-it just won't work."

Olivia looked into the eyes of Nina Sharp. Her once bright blue eyes were dull and sad from the torture that had taken place.

"I don't understand, you don't remember our life together?"

"I remember but, I just need for you to help me feel it. Just help me remember the details. What we-what we meant to each other. Maybe if you could just tell me a story? Maybe the first day that Rachel and I came to live with you?" Olivia's worried eyes flickered across Nina's.

"Oh, um," Nina's mind flashed back to the day she'd brought the two young girls home with her.

The sun shone bright over a brand new day for Nina Sharp. It had been a great day, one full of waiting and anticipation, but a great one nonetheless.

Waiting on the landing of Penn Station Nina watched every person that got off the trains coming in. It wouldn't be that hard to miss two young, very blond girls bobbing down the stairs. Her heart raced as the line started to slowly board off the train from Jacksonville.

And then there they were. Rachel clinging to her older sister, Olivia's arm so tightly it looked painful. But Olivia's face made no mention of pain. The social worker was dressed in a black dress suit, her skirt cut off sharply at her knees. Her nose was small and turned up at the end. Her glasses magnified her eyes one hundred fold. Nina had known many people in her life and line of work. Many of the people she met had been so similar looking that they all looked like a blob. But this woman looked so out of place, Nina would be sure to never forget her.

This strange woman was bringing her the two most precious gifts she was never able to make herself. Nina was sure to the little girls, this woman was even more strange and abnormal to them.

The odd threesome stopped in front of her.

"Nina Sharp?" The social worker asked after double checking her clipboard.

"Yes, that's me." She replied, smiling down at the two beautiful little girls in front of her. "Hello girls."

Rachel, the younger of two, stared up at her with large, sad eyes. Having called them the night before, not something everyone was allowed to do, Nina had asked what kind of food or comforts they both liked. Rachel had stuttered out that she liked cinnamon rolls for breakfast and french fries whenever. Olivia had been a little less reluctant to give out any personal information. To which Rachel answered that Olivia liked ice cream, which it turned out so did Rachel quite a bit more than her sister however.

Now that Rachel was standing in front of her new foster mother, Nina could tell the young girl was shaken. It's much simpler to talk about moving than actually doing so Nina had told them last night.

"Do you girls remember talking to Miss Sharp last night?" The social worker stroked Olivia's hair.

"Yes," Olivia said, staring directly into Nina's eyes. "Miss Sharp said she wanted our first night to be special."

"I did," a smile crossed her face. "Do you remember when I asked you girls what you liked to eat?"

They both nodded.

"Well, I have fresh homemade cinnamon rolls and three different types of ice cream at home. But first I think you girls must be hungry. So, Olivia, Rachel, where would you like to eat?"

After the social worker had said her goodbyes, an act that didn't faze either girl, the three popped into Nina's car. The seats were new and still smelled like leather. Neither girl talked much. Nina tried asking questions about the train trip, what they were excited to do in their new town, but the girls answered in short answers.

"How would you girls like to just head back to the house? I could make some spaghetti or some hamburgers, whatever you'd like. And we could just have a girl's night, just us three."

"Yeah!" Rachel exclaimed. It had taken Nina by surprise. But it was evidently the very thing to get Rachel talking. And the talking didn't stop the whole thirty five minute drive home.

"Will my room be pink?"

"No, both rooms are white, but we can certainly see about painting them if that's what you'd like," she'd replied.

That had been a good answer. Rachel had gone on to say she loved to paint, mostly finger paint, but she wanted to paint bigger things and bright colors.

"Can we have a rubber ducky curtain in the bath tub?"

Nina had shrugged.

"Sure, if we find one, we'll get it."

The questions were endless, but it was the questions that had gotten Rachel to talk to Nina. Sitting next to her in the front, Olivia sat silently. Her eyes looked around the city, exploring everything. Every alley they passed, Olivia's head would turn to peer down it until she could no longer see it. When the tall sky scrapers would pass them, Olivia would crane her neck until he face was pressed against the window. Nina finally rolled the window down for her.

"Thank you Miss Sharp," she said with a s shy smile.

"Can I have my window down too?" Rachel asked.

"Yes, but you'll have to make sure that you keep your teddy bear in the car. We wouldn't want him to get lost in the big city."

"It's a girl!" Rachel said. "See, I painted her nails and everything!" Rachel reached the bear forward. At the stop light, Nina took it, examining the worn and tattered bear.

"Well, that's an excellent job Rachel. Do you like painting your nails?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed, her feet kicking out in front of her.

"I have some nail polish at the house. We could paint your nails if you'd like. And yours too Olivia."

Olivia looked over at Nina. Her smile crept slowly upward.

"Olivia doesn't like to paint her nails. Or color. Or play dollies. Olivia is boring."

"I do to like to play with you Rachel, you just play different. And you don't read," Olivia had turned around. Her long blond hair moved with the sudden turning motion.

"Now girls, we'll all do activities together and we can do them separate too. Does that sound ok?"

Nina flipped the blinker on to turn right into a decent sized house. There was a hedge all around the outside of the yard. The porch was painted white and the house yellow. There was a white porch swing slowly rocking in the breeze in front of a large picture window.

"It looks like a house on tv!" Rachel said. Her legs excitedly kicking as she waited for Nina to help her out of her seat.

"Why thank you Rachel," Nina shut the car door behind Rachel. Grabbing the girls' bags from the trunk, Rachel waited patiently by her side. Olivia on the other hand stood in the driveway looking around. She took in all of her surroundings, trying to find a spot to crawl through the hedge in case Miss Nina Sharp turned out to be like her stepfather.

The three girls walked inside. Olivia's eyes grew large with wonder. Every wall seemed to be covered from top to bottom with books. There were books of every color and size. Olivia looked around. Her fingertips traced the books.

Then she remembered where she was.

Nina had watched Olivia trace the books. The young girl looked so excited over the vast amounts of books that she'd collected over the years. Walter had told Nina of Olivia's book obsession.

Olivia turned cold.

A few hours later Rachel was all dolled up and ready for bed. Nina and Rachel had painted their nails together while Olivia laughed at their mistakes. Although she was starting to become more comfortable with Nina, she was still standoffish.

"Ok Rachel, Olivia, I think it's time for bed. It's been a long day and we even stayed up extra late. So, let's brush our teeth, get a drink of water and head to bed." Nina said with Rachel's head on her lap.

Both girls dug through their bags to find their tooth brushes and tooth paste. Walking into the bathroom, Rachel stepped up on the small stool Nina had bought for her. The girls brushed their teeth and drank their water.

Walking Rachel next door to her own bedroom, Nina pulled back the purple covers and the young girl scrambled in between them. Pulling her teddy bear up to her chest, Rachel's hair was brushed back from her face.

"Nina, can we have more cinnamon rolls tomorrow?"

"Yes sweetie, we can. Did you like them?"

"A whole bunch!" She spread her arms out as far as they could go.

"That much?" Nina's eyes got big. "That's a lot huh?"

"They were so good Nina!"

"Ok, when you get up tomorrow morning I'll warm some up for you." She leaned over the young girl and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight my sweet."

"Goodnight Nina," Rachel yawned and rolled onto her side.

Nina patted the bed before leaving to Olivia's room across the hall. There, in the middle of the bed, sat Olivia with a book in her lap, opened to the first page.

"Have you ever seen the movie of that?"

Olivia shook her head.

"We'll have to watch it, I think we can find it somewhere. Would you like that Olivia?"

She nodded.

"I'll let you stay up late reading tonight because reading is one of my favorite hobbies. And if you ever want any book, we can go to the library or a book store."

"Ok Miss Sharp."

"Olivia, is there anything you'd like to eat tomorrow? Anything special?"

"No, thank you Miss Sharp."

Nina looked up into Olivia's brown eyes. There was definitely some trepidation inside the young girl. But Nina couldn't blame her, after all she'd gone through, moving to a new home with a strange woman wasn't going to help all that stress.

"If you need anything at all, I'm right next door you know. and you can come and ask for anything ok? Whenever you need something you can just ask me. Even if it's just water. You just come wake me up ok?"

"Ok."

Nina patter Olivia's knee and left to go to her bedroom. Slipping into a pair of flannel pajamas, Nina grabbed her reading glasses. Three books sat perched on her night stand. Given the fact that two were Jane Austen books, she grabbed for the third one, a romance story about a woman who falls in love with a CEO. Opening the book halfway, Nina jumped into the middle of a steamy sex scene.

In Olivia's room, the young girl sat in her new bed, in her new house, with her new mother, and books that were mostly new to her. Everything was new. And she had no idea what to do. What if she didn't like it here? Or what if Rachel didn't? The fact that Olivia didn't like it was beside the point, but if Rachel didn't like it, what would she do to help her sister?

So she did what any other child who loved to read would do, she kept on reading the story of the girl who fell down a rabbit's hole into a magical crazy world full of contradictions and impossible things. But that didn't help. Not even the impossible scenes in the book took her mind off of the new world she dove into. She glanced at the clock, wondering if Miss Sharp would be asleep. It was nearly one in the morning, she must be.

Out in the hallway however, Olivia saw her light was still on, shining underneath the door's frame. The door opened just a sliver, enough for Olivia to get through. Nina was laying in her bed with the book propped open upon her chest. Her reading glasses had fallen part way down her nose and her hands were at her sides.

"Miss Sharp," Olivia whispered. She placed her hand on Nina's, hoping that would wake her from her sleep. It didn't. She shook her hand a few times and Nina's blue eyes blinked open to find Olivia standing by her bed.

"Olivia? Is everything ok?" She scooted towards the middle of the bed, motioning for the young girl to join her on the bed.

"I can't sleep." Olivia pulled her knees up to her chest, her pale lavender nightgown sliding up her ankles.

"Oh dear, is it too hot? Do you need something to drink?" Nina pulled Olivia into her arms, stroking her hair.

"No, I just can't sleep."

From across the room, Nina spotted a gift she'd received from her mother. The brush was sterling silver and rather old, it was Nina's favorite gift. She'd grabbed it, pulling Olivia to sit with her back to her. The long blond hair fell in tangles and with a few strokes, Nina had gotten most of them out.

"You know my mother brushed my hair for me when I couldn't sleep. It always did the trick for me," Nina admired the girl's hair.

"I usually sleep ok, I just can't tonight."

"It's been a very busy day for both you and Rachel. I really do hope you'll like it here Olive. I'll show you where the best ice cream is and the biggest library you've ever seen. I really think we'll have fun together."

"I think I will like it here. You have a lot of books Miss Sharp and I love to read."

"Well you just help yourself to whatever you find interests you and when you run out of books, we'll go out and buy some more. How does that sound?"

"Wonder-" Olivia stopped midword to yawn.

"Here, how about we go back to your room and see if there isn't something I can't find to maybe comfort you better?" Olivia hopped off the bed and walked back to her room.

"Okay, let's see here. I know you might think this is silly, but this is my mother's," Nina pulled off a necklace she'd been wearing all day. "She gave it to me when I was about sixteen. And when she found out I was getting you two girls she told me to give her pictures."

Handing Olivia the necklace, she saw it was a heart shaped locket. And inside were two pictures. One of Rachel. And one of Olivia.

"You can wear this whenever you want to Olive." She sat on the edge of the small bed, Olivia tucked in her arm. "Olive, you don't need to worry. We're a family now. Whatever happens now, we have each other. For good and bad. We're a family now Olive. And you know what? We'll be ok. Ok, let's get ready to sleep now."

Nina pulled the comforters up around Olivia's shoulders, tucking her in with the locket safely secured around her neck. She placed a feather light kiss on Olivia's forehead before telling her they'd be ok one last time.

As she walked towards the door Olivia stopped her.

"Nina?"

Nina stopped mid-step. Her heart melted at the sound of Olivia Dunham calling her Nina and not Miss Sharp.

"Yes Olive?"

"If I can't sleep can I come sleep with you?"

"Yes, of course Olive, just come crawl in with me if you'd like."

And with a smile, Nina Sharp closed the door to her Olive's room.


End file.
